MEMPHIS, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, et al. to Air on PBS' 'Great Performances' in 2012

PBS's 'Great Performances' series has just announced the schedule for their previously announced 2012 line-up, which is set to feature a slew of theatre productions. Included in the season is LET ME DOWN EASY- a one-woman show featuring Anna Deavere Smith airing January 13; MEMPHIS- featuring original stars Montego Glover and Chad Kimball airing February 24; and THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA- featuring Ramin Karimloo and Sierra Boggess airing in March.

Also included in this season will be Michael Tilson Thomas' THE THOMASHEFSKYS- starring Shuler Hensley and Judy Blazer airing March 29; and 'The Divine Right'- a Sam Mendes miniseries about putting together Shakespeare's RICHARD II, HENRY IV Parts I & II and HENRY V airing in fall 2012.

Great Performances is funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, Vivian Milstein, the Irene Diamond Fund, the Starr Foundation, the Philip and Janice Levin Foundation and Joseph A. Wilson, with additional major support from the LuEsther T. Mertz Charitable Trust.

For Great Performances, Bill O'Donnell and Mitch Owgang are producers; O'Donnell is series producer; David Horn is executive producer. Visit Great Performances Online at www.pbs.org/gperf for additional information about this and other programs.

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